Muslim Council of Elders highlights virtues of giving

The Muslim Council of Elders emphasised that the International Day of Charity serves as an important annual occasion to highlight the role of charitable work in promoting global solidarity and human compassion.

This comes at a time when humanitarian crises are escalating due to ongoing global conflicts, wars, natural disasters, and the impacts of climate change.

In a statement on the International Day of Charity, observed annually on September 5, the Muslim Council of Elders stated that giving is a profound human value and a collective responsibility that contributes to building safe, stable societies founded on justice, equality, and compassion. The Council noted that Islam places great emphasis on charitable work, encouraging the spread of goodness and extending help to the poor, needy, displaced, and marginalized, considering it one of the greatest acts of devotion to Allah and a fundamental pillar in fostering cohesive societies rooted in love and fraternity.

On this occasion, the Muslim Council of Elders called for intensified efforts and enhanced humanitarian initiatives to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and impoverished communities. It affirmed that charitable work is not a secondary option but an urgent moral and humanitarian necessity that promotes global stability.

The Council continues its efforts to advance the values of human fraternity and global solidarity, guided by the principles of the “Document on Human Fraternity,” which was co-signed in 2019 in Abu Dhabi by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, and the late Pope Francis, former Pontiff of the Catholic Church. The document calls for aiding the weak, needy, victims, and persecuted without exclusion or discrimination.

Recently, the Muslim Council of Elders participated in the inauguration of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as Head of the Catholic Church, which took place in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.

The Muslim Council of Elders, including its chairman His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and other council members, extended heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his inauguration as head of the Catholic Church. The Council commends the Pope’s commitment to advancing interfaith dialogue and fostering fraternity and coexistence. The inauguration mass, held in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, marked the succession of the late Pope Francis, whose legacy includes the historic 2019 Document on Human Fraternity, which was co-signed in Abu Dhabi. The landmark document, a cornerstone of modern interfaith efforts, advocates for dialogue, tolerance, and human fraternity across diverse communities.

WAM